Thread feeding device for textile machines

ABSTRACT

An improved thread feeding device for textile machines comprising a rotatable driven cylinder and a pair of rotatable rollers mounted in spaced relation thereto for supporting an endless belt for engagement along an arc of a circle against the cylinder, whereby thread passing between the belt and cylinder is fed thereby; and wherein the direction of the rotational axis of one of the rollers is different from the direction of the rotational axis of the cylinder and other roller to facilitate tracking of the belt on the rollers and cylinder.

United States Patent [191 Gabalda I i [11 1 3,802,616 1 Apr. 9, 1974 THREAD FEEDING DEVICE FOR TEXTILE MACHINES [75] Inventor: Carlos Matas Gabalda,

Granges-LesNalence, France [73] Assignee: Chavanoz S.A., Chavanoz, France [22] Filed: Dec. 7, 1972 211 App]. No: 312,823

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 1,149,8 11 1 /1958 France.,,... 226L171 575,314 5/1959 Canada i 226/171 353,664 5/1961 Switzerland 226/171 Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher Assistant ExaminerGene A. Church Attorney, Agent, or Firm-I-l. William Petry; Luke J. Wilburn, Jr.

[5 7] ABSTRACT An improved threadfeeding device for textile ma chines comprising a rotatable driven cylinder and a pair of rotatable rollers mounted in spaced relation thereto for supporting an endless belt for engagement along an arc of a circle against the cylinder, whereby thread passing between the belt. and cylinder is fed thereby; and wherein the direction of the rotational axis of one of the rollers is different from the direction of the rotational axis of the cylinder and other roller to facilitate tracking of the belt on the rollers and cylinder.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 9 I974 SHEET 1 OF 2 i am? PATENTED R 9 i 7 SHEET 2 BF 2 "FIG. -2-

1 THREAD FEEDING DEVICE FOR TEXTILE MACHINES The present invention relates to a new thread feeder device intended for textile machines of the type used to texturizeyarns and threads. It relates more particularly to an improved feed device of the type described in French Pat. No. 1,149,841 which consists of a rotating cylinder and an endless belt applied along an arc of a circle against the cylinder, the thread passing between the said belt and the cylinder, the linear speeds of which are equal to those desired for the thread.

In previous feeder devices, the axes of the rollers over which the belt passes are mounted on arms which tend to apply the belt against the cylinder. In every case the axes of the rollers are parallel to one another and also to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder.

Such devices generally give good results when the thread output is not too rapid, that is to say, less than 100 meters per minute, but they have aserious drawback when it is desired to operate at high speeds, as is the case in particular with the new texturization machines in which the thread is delivered at speeds of up to 400meters per minute and even higher. ln'this case, as a matter of fact, the endless belt tends to move transversely and this upsets the smooth operation of the device. There have been proposals to eliminate this drawback by the use, for example, of rollers whichhave a plane cylindrical part narrower than the belt. But such feeders do not give full satisfaction.

There has been found, and this forms the object of the present invention, a thread feeder for textile machines in which the belt cannot in any event move transversely, even at very high output speeds.

Thethread feeder according to the invention comprises the combination of a rotary cylinder and an endless belt applied along an arc of a circle against the cylinder, the said belt being supported and guided at its ends by two rollers spaced from the cylinder and mounted in a pivoting support arm, andit is characterized in that the direction of the axis of rotation of one of the support rollers is slightly different from the common direction of the axis of the other roller and of the axis of the cylinder.

In a preferred form of embodiment, one of the support rollers can be oriented in space. For the purpose of convenience in the remainder of the description, the term orientable roller will be used for the beltholding roller whose position is altered with respect to the cylinder and the second roller.

The angle formed by the direction of the axis of the orientable roller with the other roller and with the cylinder is generally small, and does not exceed 2. Advantageously this angle is comprised between and 2. Since the belt cannot stretch, it is clear that the orientation of the axis of the orientable roller takes place in a vertical plane parallel to the vertical planes passing, respectively, through the axis of the cylinder and through the axis of the second roller.

This feature of the thread feeder according tothe invention, wherein the direction of the axis of rotation of one of the rollers can be altered angularly relative to the direction of the axes of rotation of the other roller and of the cylinder, which axes remain parallel to one another, permits stabilizing the belt in the transverse direction whatever the speed of rotation of the rollers.

The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following example of an embodiment of athread feeder according to the invention, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a thread feeder device according to the invention, with the mounting means of the orientable roller on the support arm shown in section, and with a portion of the roller broken away and certain hidden portions of the feeder device shown in dashed lines.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic: view of a portion of the device of FIG. 1 showing in section the mounting of the orientable roller on the support arm before it has been adjusted in position.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic view of a portion of the device of FIG. 1 showing in section the mounting of the orientable roller when the device is ready to operate.

This thread feeder device according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 1 consists of a rollenholding arm 1 which comprises two spaced, lateralparts l2 and 13 on which are mounted for free rotation a fixed roller 2 and an orientable roller 3 which serve as means for support and guidance for an endless belt 4. The roller-holding arm 1 can pivot about a fixed axis 5 which makes it possible to apply the endless belt 4 against a part of the perimeter of an entraining, or driving, cylinder 6 to insure the displacement, or feeding movement, of the thread passing between belt 4 and cylinder 6. The belt is applied against driving cylinder 6 by the action of its own weight, or by the action of springs (not shown) or any other suitable means.

Roller 2 is mounted on roller-holding arm 1 by means of a continuous shaft 7 which rests on two coaxial bearings 8 and 9 mountedrespectively on the lateral parts 12, 13 of the roller holding arm, the longitudinal axis of the bearings being parallel to that of driving cylinder 6. Shaft 7 is preferably fixed in bearings 8 and 9, and roller 2 is mounted for free rotation on this shaft. Optionally, the shaft canbe rotatably mounted in bearings 8 and 9 and, in this case, the roller 2 would be fixedly mounted for rotation with the shaft.

The orientable roller 3 is likewise mounted on the roller holding arm 1, but by mean-sfof a device which permits spacial orientation of the direction of the axis of rotation of roller 3 relative to the direction of the axes of roller 2 and driving cylinder 6.

This possibility of orientation of the position of the axis of rotation of orientable roller 3 is illustrated more particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3 and such is obtained in the following manner. Roller 3 is supportably attached to support arm 1 by means of a shaft 10 on which it is mounted free in rotation. This shaft 10 rests on a bearing 11 mounted on the lateral part 12 of support arm 1 closest to the roller. This shaft 10 is made integral with the lateral part 13 of the support arm by means of a cross-brace 14 in which it is fitted and an elastic pin, or spring pin, 15, one end of which is integral with cross-brace l4 and the other end of which is integral with the second lateral part 13 of the support arm 1 by means of a bearing surface 16. The surfaces of the bearings 11 and 16 of the support arm on which are mounted pin 15 and shaft 10 have a common longitudinal axis 17 (indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 2) while the holes in the cross-brace 14 are offset from each other. The longitudinal axes of these holes are spaced by a distance D (FIG. 2) of between 0.1 mm.

and 1 mm. In this way, by acting on the elasticity of pin 15, shaft can be inclined slightly relative to the di-' rection of the axes of rotation of cylinder 6 and roller 2. It is preferable that angle A (FIG. 3) formed by the direction of shaft 10 with the direction of the axes of rotation of cylinder 6 and roller 2 be small and, in the present case, it is approximately 1. Finally, the immobilization of shaft 10 is obtained by the elasticity of pin in bearing surface 16.

As the elastic pin we prefer to use a pin of the Mecanindus, or spring pin, type. t

This alteration of the position of roller 3 relative to cylinder 6 and roller 2prevents the transverse displacement of the belt while the feeder is in operation. Thus, whatever the rate of output of the thread, the latter is always properly positioned between the feeder cylinder and the belt.

This is only an example of embodiment of the invention, and it is clear that other means may be used to orient one of the belt-holding rollers relative to the other roller without departing from the scope of the invention. The device according to the invention is particularly suitable for textile machines of the throwing frame type, or for texturizing looms.

That which is claimed is:

1. A thread feeder device for textile machines comprising a rotatable cylinder, a support arm, two rotatable rollers spaced from the cylinder and mounted on said support arm in spaced relation, with the rotational axis of one of said rollers parallel to the rotational axis of said rotatable cylinder, an endless belt, said rollers supporting and guiding said belt at its extremities to apply the belt along an arc of a circle against the cylinder to engage and feed thread passing between the belt and the cylinder, and means maintaining the axis of rotation of the other of said support rollers in a different direction from the common direction of the rotational axes of said one roller and the cylinder for facilitating proper track of the endless belt on the rollers and cylinder.

2. A thread feeder device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for locating the axis of rotation of wherein said means for locating the direction of the axis of rotation of said other roller includes means for positioning the direction of the axis of said other roller at an angle of from between about zero to two degrees from the direction of the axis of said one roller and said cylinder.

4. A thread feeder device as defined in claim 1 wherein said support arm includes a pair of spaced support plates, axially aligned bearing means in each of said support plates; and said locating means includes a shaft supporting said other roller and extending through oneof said bearing means, a pin supported in the other bearing means and extending toward said' shaft, and connector means positioned between said spaced plates and having means for operatively engaging said shaft and said .pin for locating the direction of the rotational axis of said shaft at an angle to the direction of the rotational axes of said one roller and said cylinder. 7

5. A thread feeder device as defined in claim 4 wherein said means for operatively engaging said shaft and pin include means for receiving end portions of said shaft and said pin to position the direction of the rotational axis of said other roller at about zero to two degrees to the direction of the axes of said one roller and said cylinder.

6. A thread feeder device as defined in claim 1 wherein said support arm includes a pair of spaced support plates, axially aligned bearing means in each of said support plates; and said locating means includes a shaft supporting said other roller and extending through one of said bearing means, a pin supported in the other of said bearing means and extending toward said shaft, and connector means positioned between said spaced plates having openings for fixing adjacent end portions of said shaft and said pin therein, said openings being located in said connector means to position the axis of the pin spaced from the axis of the shaft.

7. A thread feeder device as defined in claim 6 wherein the distance between the axis of the pin and the axis of the shaft is between about 0.1 mm. and 1 mm. when the axes are parallel.

V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFFCATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 802, Dated April 9, i974:

Inventor) Carlos Mates Gabalda It iscertified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the specification, column 4, line 5, "axis" should'read "axes".

Signed and sealed "this 10th day of September 1974 [SEAL] Attes't:

MCCOY M. GIBSON, JR. I .CpMARslFlALL ,DANN

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC 50376-1 59 u.s GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1969 o--3ee-zaa, 

1. A thread feeder device for textile machines comprising a rotatable cylinder, a support arm, two rotatable rollers spaced from the cylinder and mounted on said support arm in spaced relation, with the rotational axis of one of said rollers parallel to the rotational axis of said rotatable cylinder, an endless belt, said rollers supporting and guiding said belt at its extremities to apply the belt along an arc of a circle against the cylinder to engage and feed thread passing between the belt and the cylinder, and means maintaining the axis of rotation of the other of said support rollers in a different direction from the common direction of the rotational axes of said one roller and the cylinder for facilitating proper track of the endless belt on the rollers and cylinder.
 2. A thread feeder device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for locating the axis of rotation of said other roller includes means for spacially orienting said other roller.
 3. A thread feeder device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for locating the direction of the axis of rotation of said other roller includes means for positioning the direction of the axis of said other roller at an angle of from between about zero to two degrees from the direction of the axes of said one roller and said cylinder.
 4. A thread feeder device as defined in claim 1 wherein said support arm includes a pair of spaced support plates, axially aligned bearing means in each of said support plates; and said locating means includes a shaft supporting said other roller and extending through one of said bearing means, a pin supported in the other bearing means and extending toward said shaft, and connector means positioned between said spaced plates and having means for operatively engaging said shaft and said pin for locating the direction of the rotational axis of said shaft at an angle to the direction of the rotational axes of said one roller and said cylinder.
 5. A thread feeder device as defined in claim 4 wherein said means for operatively engaging said shaft and pin include means for receiving end portions of said shaft and said pin to position the direction of the rotational axis of said other roller at about zero to two degrees to the direction of the axes of said one roller and said cylinder.
 6. A thread feeder device as defined in claim 1 wherein said support arm includes a pair of spaced support plates, axially aligned bearing means in each of said support plates; and said locating means includes a shaft supporting said other roller and extending through one of said bearing means, a pin supported in the other of said bearing means And extending toward said shaft, and connector means positioned between said spaced plates having openings for fixing adjacent end portions of said shaft and said pin therein, said openings being located in said connector means to position the axis of the pin spaced from the axis of the shaft.
 7. A thread feeder device as defined in claim 6 wherein the distance between the axis of the pin and the axis of the shaft is between about 0.1 mm. and 1 mm. when the axes are parallel. 